We rarely have christmas presents. Only when somebody in the family pushes for it we do small things. it happened like 2 times in the last 10 years or so.
Normally we have a nice family dinner and have a fun night out in the bar but besides that christmas isn't really celebrated.

I don't like Sinterklaas (something like Santa Claus, for all you Americans who have no idea who I'm talking about. ) or Christmas. Like someone else said, I too got presents that I hadn't asked for - socks, shirts, skirts etc. and other things that I didn't care for when I was younger. I pretended to be happy and politely said "Thank you!" each time (even though I had no idea where the gifts came from, haha, because we pull names out of a bowl a few months before Sinterklaas ).

Every year when we got home my Mom had me sit down with the box full of presents. I had to go through them one by one and be grateful.

Way to make me feel like "un ungrateful shitweasel" for not being happy with things I did not ask for.

My aversion to it now, though, stems more out of costs. We're celebrating Sinterklaas 4 effing times this year. Goodbye savings!!! I'd say... I might bail next year. -_-'

"Bread-Bread-Dinner
It ain't makin' me any thinner
I eat a sandwich for break-fast
And then I have a sugar blast!
I eat toasted bread for lunch
And enjoy my mid-day crunch!
At dinner I eat pasta
And end my day with a sugar disasta!"

For years and years, Xmas was the only break I got from school or residency. For this reason it has a very special place, as the time I am with my family no matter what. It is not a remotely religious holiday for us.....it falls at the time of year it does because of the pagans anyway, not because Christ was supposedly born in December. Easter is religious (also that time of year due to the pagans), Christmas is for family

Christmas varied from year to year when I was growing up. Some years were more "plentiful" than others. Christmas holds that special place in my heart for the long break from school, even though now I don't get a long break from work! If I'd planned ahead, I could have taken off the 23rd for a 5 day break, but now I don't have enough PTO. From college years till now, my contributions to family Christmas have been my presence and a single gift to close family (and sometimes friends). I'm getting my husband some bunny slippers and baking supplies. I will probably make applesauce for the rest of my family, or maybe some sourdough bread.

This was on Facebook for Christmas ideas: something they want
Something they need
Something to wear
Something to read.

I think that is a great idea. I like giving gifts and usually just give out homemade goodies. People love a jar of hot fudge or spiced nuts. I try and stick with consumables for any adult in my life.

I think there is too much pressure just to thoughtlessly give gifts. I go shopping every year with a friend and it's like a stressful attempt to get everyone checked off the list with something from the mall, stuff it into bags.... Her inlaws are just big into a ton of presents for everyone.

My family, we have backed off in recent years because it literally become an exchange of $25 amazon.com cards. Shipping gifts is too expensive. My mom still gets me presents. And we got a lot of presents as kids, but 90% of them were things we needed like clothes etc. The funniest year was literally the year when all my gifts were for my horse, LOL!

I have explained to my daughter about the story of Santa Claus and Jesus' birth and I think she understands that gifts she receives at Christmas are representative of the gifts given to baby Jesus, and are not from Santa Claus.

You know St. Nicolas is Santa right? He was a real person that lived in Turkey. He was given a saint status by the church. He gave gifts & money to the poor.
When asked if Santa is real I have told my children he was & people give gifts in his name to continue his generosity.

You know St. Nicolas is Santa right? He was a real person that lived in Turkey. He was given a saint status by the church. He gave gifts & money to the poor.
When asked if Santa is real I have told my children he was & people give gifts in his name to continue his generosity.

Santa has been grown from a variety of different cultures and traditions. He's not exclusively based from St. Nicholas.